Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Electrocardiographic changes associated with beta-blocker toxicity.

Jeffrey N Love1, Brett Enlow, John M Howell

  • 1Emergency Department, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA. jlove01@gunet.georgetown.edu

Annals of Emergency Medicine
|November 26, 2002
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A 30-year History of the Emergency Medicine Standardized Letter of Evaluation.

The western journal of emergency medicine·2025
Same author

Psychological safety and perceived organizational support in emergency medicine residencies.

AEM education and training·2024
Same author

Development and Validation of a Scoring Rubric for Editorial Evaluation of Peer-review Quality: A Pilot Study.

The western journal of emergency medicine·2024
Same author

A Collaborative Approach to Mentored Peer Reviews Sponsored by the Council of Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine.

The western journal of emergency medicine·2024
Same author

Increasing number and shifting demographics of adolescent opioid use disorder presentations to the emergency department.

The American journal of emergency medicine·2023
Same author

Expediting Treatment of Trauma Patients in the Emergency Department: Rapid Trauma Evaluation (RTE).

The Journal of emergency medicine·2023
Same journal

Variation in Emergency Department Experience With Pediatric Critical Illness.

Annals of emergency medicine·2026
Same journal

Point-of-Care Ultrasound-Guided Hydrostatic Reduction of Ileocolic Intussusception in the Pediatric Emergency Department.

Annals of emergency medicine·2026
Same journal

Managing Diabetic Ketoacidosis.

Annals of emergency medicine·2026
Same journal

Needle Thoracostomy: Implications of Chest Wall Thickness for Anatomical Location and Needle Length.

Annals of emergency medicine·2026
Same journal

Women Emergency Physicians and Gender Disparities from Entry to Advancement.

Annals of emergency medicine·2026
Same journal

Policy Statements Approved March 2026.

Annals of emergency medicine·2026
See all related articles

Symptomatic beta-blocker overdose commonly causes negative dromotropic effects on electrocardiograms (ECGs), with first-degree heart block being the most frequent finding. Acebutolol overdose may present unique ECG changes, including prolonged QTc intervals and ventricular tachydysrhythmia.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Toxicology
  • Emergency Medicine

Background:

  • Beta-blockers are widely prescribed for cardiovascular conditions.
  • Overdose can lead to significant toxicity, including cardiovascular compromise.
  • Electrocardiogram (ECG) findings in beta-blocker overdose are crucial for diagnosis and management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the specific ECG changes associated with symptomatic beta-blocker overdose.
  • To identify ECG patterns that differentiate symptomatic from asymptomatic overdose.
  • To explore unique ECG findings in specific beta-blocker intoxications, such as acebutolol.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective cohort study of patients presenting to poison centers with beta-blocker overdose.
  • ECG analysis on presentation and structured follow-up.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Inclusion criteria for symptomatic overdose included bradycardia, hypotension, signs of end-organ hypoperfusion, and cardiovascular medication use.

    • Main Results:

    • Of 167 patients, 13 had symptomatic exposures.
    • First-degree heart block (>200 ms) was the most common ECG finding (10/12) in symptomatic patients.
    • Symptomatic patients showed significantly prolonged PR, QRS, and QTc intervals compared to asymptomatic patients.

    Conclusions:

    • Clinically significant beta-blocker intoxications typically manifest negative dromotropic effects on ECG.
    • Acebutolol intoxication may exhibit distinct ECG abnormalities, suggesting unique pathophysiological mechanisms.